Unified Response Research Articles

The Development of Information Integration System for Oil Production Equipment

Oil production equipment has a large amount of information, data acquisition channels, strong professional characteristics, and the data real-time, reliability and consistency of the demand is higher. For the production department for oil real-time data and collect data source point each production run for unified management, timely and accurate response oil production information, to improve the efficiency of collaborative work between the production departments, it provides a full range of production equipment management information service and aided decision basis. This paper from the aspects of system requirements and system architecture of oil production equipment running information integration platform has carried on the overall analysis and design.

Effect of load eccentricity and stress level on monopile support for offshore wind turbines

Currently monopiles are the most common foundation solution for offshore wind turbines. The design of monopiles relies on empirical data from tests performed on long, slender, small-diameter piles loaded predominantly in shear. In contrast, a monopile is a large-diameter, relatively short pile on which load is applied with a large eccentricity. With centrifuge tests as the basis, this paper investigates the behaviour of a rigid pile loaded with a high eccentricity. A test series was carried out to simulate idealized monotonic load cases for monopiles supporting an offshore wind turbine. Centrifuge tests were performed on model monopiles subjected to stress distributions equal to prototype monopiles with pile diameters ranging from 1–5 m and eccentricities ranging from 8.25–17.75 pile diameters. It was possible to identify a unified response of all of these tests by using dimensional analysis and Rankine’s passive earth pressure coefficient as a normalization parameter. The normalized ultimate soil resistance was unaffected by acceleration level and load eccentricity, indicating that the failure mechanism was the same for all tests. Based on the centrifuge tests, a reformulation of soil–pile interaction curves is presented. The normalized initial stiffness of the soil–pile resistance curves was seen to increase linearly with depth in the centrifuge tests. The reformulation differs from current guidelines in terms of the shape of the interaction curve and magnitude of ultimate resistance.

A hierarchical perspective on the diversity of butterfly species' responses to weather in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

An important and largely unaddressed issue in studies of biotic-abiotic relationships is the extent to which closely related species, or species living in similar habitats, have similar responses to weather. We addressed this by applying a hierarchical, Bayesian analytical framework to a long-term data set for butterflies which allowed us to simultaneously investigate responses of the entire fauna and individual species. A small number of variables had community-level effects. In particular, higher total annual snow depth had a positive effect on butterfly occurrences, while spring minimum temperature and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) sea-surface variables for April-May had negative standardized coefficients. Our most important finding was that variables with large impacts at the community-level did not necessarily have a consistent response across all species. Species-level responses were much more similar to each other for snow depth compared to the other variables with strong community effects. This variation in species-level responses to weather variables raises important complications for the prediction of biotic responses to shifting climatic conditions. In addition, we found that clear associations with weather can be detected when considering ecologically delimited subsets of the community. For example, resident species and non-ruderal species had a much more unified response to weather variables compared to non-resident species and ruderal species, which suggests local adaptation to climate. These results highlight the complexity of biotic-abiotic interactions and confront that complexity with methodological advances that allow ecologists to understand communities and shifting climates while simultaneously revealing species-specific variation in response to climate.

Neuropsychological Bases for the Introduction of Changes to the Classification of Sexual Disorders

This paper aims to compare and contrast proposed American Psychiatric Association website DSM 5 definitions of sexual dysfunctions with that of ICD-10 — F52 and explains the rationale for making changes. All the DSM classifications until present time based definitions of sexual dysfunctions on expert opinions that were not supported by sufficient clinical or epidemiological data. Additionally, included vague terms such as satisfactory, soon after, rapid, short, minimal, recurrent and persistent which were not precise and difficult to interpret. Showed male and female sexual dysfunctions on the same continuum based on unified sexual response cycles.The fifth version of the APA’s classification was released in May 2013. The DSM-5 merged female desire and arousal diagnosis into one entity defined as female sexual interest and arousal disorders, vaginisimus and dyspareunia as genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder, deleted sexual aversion, the diagnostic classification separated for men and women. DSM attempted to operationalize the diagnostic criteria and avoided vague terms. It is also expected to introduce changes in the classification of disorders in ICD-10. (JNNN 2014;3(3):136–141)

Hazard and seismic reinforcement analysis for typical large dams following the Wenchuan earthquake

The primary aim of this research is to analyze the hazards and seismic performance of reservoirs and typical large dams based on a field investigation following the Wenchuan 8.0 earthquake. The current seismic performance standards being achieved are discussed and further suggestions are given for super high dams. Based on field investigations, statistics are also given on damaged small reservoirs and damage severities, due to the many various types of earthquake threat. It is of interest to note that the major structures of the medium-sized hydropower stations on the Minjiang river did withstand the Wenchuan earthquake, despite earthquake intensity exceeding engineering design expectations. All the dams remained overall stable. The Shapai roller-compacted concrete (RCC) arch dam and the Zipingpu concrete-faced rockfill (CFR) dam suffered damage. The main earthquake-induced hazards to the dam structures and to both abutments are detailed. Case study analyses of the hazards and reinforcement provision revealed that: 1) The Wenchuan earthquake proved very dangerous for small reservoirs, with destroyed reservoirs widely distributed. The risk of failure of small dams can be classified into three levels based on field investigation. 2) The damage to and behavior of the large dams in the area affected by the earthquake prove that the Chinese codes relating to the seismic design of large dams are appropriate. 3) Appropriate reinforcement can increase the overall stiffness of abutments, riverbed foundation and the adjacent slopes, further improving the seismic performance of dams. 4) The design and management of emergency responses, to cope with extreme conditions, should be improved, and a unified response platform, covering all hydropower engineering projects in each valley should be established. The effects to be expected and the seismic design measures to be taken still pose great challenges for engineers in respect of large dams.

Unified response probability distribution analysis of two hybrid uncertain acoustic fields

For the response analysis of uncertain acoustic fields with limited information, two hybrid uncertain models have been developed. One is the hybrid probability and interval model in which the probability and interval variables exist simultaneously. The other one is the hybrid interval probability model in which some distribution parameters of probability variables are expressed as interval variables. For the unified response probability distribution analysis of acoustic fields under two hybrid uncertain models, an inverse mapping hybrid perturbation method (IMHPM) is proposed. In IMHPM, the responses of two hybrid uncertain acoustic fields are converted to invertible functions of probability variables based on the Taylor series expansion. According to the inverse mapping relationships between responses and probability variables, the formal expressions of the response probability distributions are yielded on the basis of the change-of-variable technique. The variational ranges of the response probability distributions are estimated by the interval perturbation technique. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method for the unified response probability distribution analysis of two hybrid uncertain acoustic fields are investigated by a numerical example.

Public Sector Unions Under Siege

The 2011-2013 assault on public sector collective bargaining rights is unprecedented in its breadth and depth. Legislative proposals that would roll back bargaining, limit unions’ ability to negotiate security arrangements, stop payroll deduction of union dues, and constrain labor’s political activity have been introduced in a majority of states. This coordinated attack from the Republican right has spurred an aggressive, unified response from a broad cross section of unions. Through labor unity tables at the national and state levels, unions are demonstrating a rare level of solidarity in the fight back. This ongoing experiment in movement building is encouraging, but challenges remain.

Prognosis Critical: Resilience and Multiculturalism in Contemporary Australia

Prognosis Critical: Resilience and Multiculturalism in Contemporary Australia

Moving beyond the “patchwork:” a review of strategies to promote consistency for extended producer responsibility policy in the U.S.

Abstract Product-oriented environmental policy with an emphasis on extended producer responsibility (EPR) (frequently referred to as product stewardship in the U.S.) is being applied in the United States for an increasingly broad scope of products including waste electronics and household hazardous wastes such as paint and mercury-containing lamps. However, due to the lack of a unified federal response, these efforts are driven by state-level policies and regulations. This state-led approach is frequently characterized as resulting in a “patchwork” of disparate regulations. Historically, two strategies are often suggested as offering a remedy for this situation; 1) federal legislation and 2) model state legislation. However, another policy strategy has emerged in the U.S., that of an overall EPR policy framework, which creates a clear process for selecting and designating products and articulates the roles and responsibilities for the various players along the product chain. This article provides an analysis of the experiences and prospects for each of the three strategies to serve as a policy vehicle for greater consistency of EPR regulations throughout the U.S. In part motivated by global extended producer responsibility policy approaches, particularly in the Canadian Provinces, efforts are now underway to investigate a similar comprehensive regulatory approach to be implemented by individual states in the U.S. The article examines the “framework” model that is envisioned in the U.S. and outlines the recommend components of this policy concept. Finally, the article provides a comparison with other jurisdictions, most notably, British Columbia, which has implemented a broad extended producer responsibility policy.

Introduction to Special Issue

This special issue asks ‘What is violence?’ and as such it makes good on sociology’s neglect of what, by any account, constitutes a pressing reality for millions. Indeed, while the ‘scale and pervasiveness of violence today call urgently for serious analysis’ (Bernstein, Leys and Panitch, 2008: 6), sociologists and social theorists have been slow to respond. The contributors to this special issue are helping sociology to catch up, reflecting, as they do, on what is also an incredibly complex reality. Indeed, because violence is complex, the contributors do not offer any easy answers as to how we might understand it; nor do they provide a unified response, since doing so would be at odds with the aim of this special issue, which minimally is to render violence more complex, not less: violence will remain a ‘slippery concept’ (Scheper-Hughes and Bourgois, 2004: 1). That said, violence is not just one concept among many, but a meta-concept (Bishop and Phillips, 2006); and as such it demands meta-analysis, which includes not only a questioning of the ontology of violence, as Sylvia Walby argues (2009; 2012), but a concomitant questioning of what we, as sociologists, can know of violence and how. Theorizing violence, that is, requires an interrogation also of what it is we mean by ‘understanding’ violence, and what makes understanding a ‘possibility’. But for the moment the question remains: why does sociology lack a tradition of studying and theorizing violence? Why is there no ‘sociology of violence’, when, as Walby makes clear, ‘the deployment and regulation of violence are social processes’ (2009: 216): with violence itself ‘socially patterned, embedded in institutions and regimes of inequalities’ (2009: 217)? Why, then, as Walby also writes, has the ‘importance of violence for people’s well-being’ been ‘much underestimated’ and ‘frequently rendered invisible’ within the canon of social

Critiques and Challenges to Old and Recently Proposed American Psychiatric Association's Website DSM 5 Diagnostic Criteria for Sexual Dysfunctions

ABSTRACTAll the DSM classifications until present time based definitions of sexual dysfunctions on expert opinions that were not supported by sufficient clinical or epidemiological data. Additionally, older definitions of sexual dysfunctions (SD) included vague terms such as satisfactory, soon after, rapid, short, minimal, recurrent and persistent which were not precise and difficult to interpret. The DSM 5 attempted to operationalize the diagnostic criteria and avoided these vague terms. It also used specific duration and severity criteria to identify more homogeneous groups for purposes of good clinical epidemiological research and better treatment decisions. All of the DSM classifications until DSM 5 classified male and female SD on the same continuum based on unified sexual response cycles. DSM 5 made a major conceptual change and emphasized that different genders' sexual disorders are no longer required to be analogous. DSM 5 also merged female desire and arousal diagnosis into one entity defined as ...

A small peptide mimetic of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor promotes peripheral myelination

The expression of the neurotrophins and their receptors is essential for peripheral nervous system development and myelination. We have previously demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exerts contrasting influences upon Schwann cell myelination in vitro - promoting myelination via neuronally expressed p75NTR, but inhibiting myelination via neuronally expressed TrkB. We have generated a small peptide called cyclo-dPAKKR that structurally mimics the region of BDNF that binds p75NTR. Here, we have investigated whether utilizing cyclo-dPAKKR to selectively target p75NTR is an approach that could exert a unified promyelinating response. Like BDNF, cyclo-dPAKKR promoted myelination of nerve growth factor-dependent neurons in vitro, an effect dependent on the neuronal expression of p75NTR. Importantly, cyclo-dPAKKR also significantly promoted the myelination of tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B-expressing neurons in vitro, whereas BDNF exerted a significant inhibitory effect. This indicated that while BDNF exerted a contrasting influence upon the myelination of distinct subsets of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in vitro, cyclo-dPAKKR uniformly promoted their myelination. Local injection of cyclo-dPAKKR adjacent to the developing sciatic nerve in vivo significantly enhanced myelin protein expression and significantly increased the number of myelinated axons. These results demonstrate that cyclo-dPAKKR promotes peripheral myelination in vitro and in vivo, suggesting it is a strategy worthy of further investigation for the treatment of peripheral demyelinating diseases.

A pan-European study of capabilities to manage mass casualties from the release of chemical agents: The MASH project

The European Union (EU) Mass Casualties and Health (MASH) project that ran between 2008 and 2010 was designed to study the management of mass casualties from chemical and radiological releases and associated health implications. One area of study for this project concerned arrangements within EU Member States for the management of mass casualties following a chemical release. This was undertaken via a confidential online questionnaire that was sent to selected points of contact throughout the EU. Responses were obtained from 18 states from respondents holding senior positions in chemical planning and incident response. Information gathered shows a lack of uniformity within the EU about the organization of responses to chemical releases and the provision of medical care. This article presents the overall findings of the study demonstrating differences between countries on planning and organization, decontamination, prehospital emergency medical responses, clinical diagnoses, and therapy and aftercare. Although there may be an understandable reluctance from national respondents to share information on security and other grounds, the findings, nevertheless, revealed substantial differences between current planning and operational responses within the EU states for the management of mass chemical casualties. The existing international networks for response to radiation incidents are not yet matched by equivalent networks for chemical responses yet sufficient information was available from the study to identify potential deficiencies, identify common casualty management pathways, and to make recommendations for future operations within the EU. Improvements in awareness and training and the application of modern information and communications will help to remedy this situation. Specialized advanced life support and other medical care for chemical casualties appear lacking in some countries. A program of specialized training and action are required to apply the findings revealed by the MASH study into a unified cross-border emergency medical response.

The expression of the eotaxins IL-6 and CXCL8 in human epithelial cells from various levels of the respiratory tract

Airway epithelium acts as multifunctional site of response in the respiratory tract. Epithelial activity plays an important part in the pathophysiology of obstructive lung disease. In this study, we compare normal human epithelial cells from various levels of the respiratory tract in terms of their reactivity to pro-allergic and pro-inflammatory stimulation. Normal human nasal, bronchial and small airway epithelial cells were stimulated with IL-4 and IL-13. The expressions of the eotaxins IL-6 and CXCL8 were evaluated at the mRNA and protein levels. The effects of pre-treatment with IFN-γ on the cell reactivity were measured, and the responses to TNF-α, LPS and IFN-γ were evaluated. All of the studied primary cells expressed CCL26, IL-6 and IL-8 after IL-4 or IL-13 stimulation. IFN-γ pre-treatment resulted in decreased CCL26 and increased IL-6 expression in the nasal and small airway cells, but this effect was not observed in the bronchial cells. IL-6 and CXCL8 were produced in varying degrees by all of the epithelial primary cells in cultures stimulated with TNF-α, LPS or IFN-γ. We showed that epithelial cells from the various levels of the respiratory tract act in a united way, responding in a similar manner to stimulation with IL-4 and IL-13, showing similar reactivity to TNF-α and LPS, and giving an almost unified response to IFN-γ pre-stimulation.Electronic Supplementary MaterialSupplementary material is available for this article at 10.2478/s11658-013-0107-y and is accessible for authorized users.

The Framing of Islam and Muslims in the Tenth Anniversary Coverage of 9/11: Implications for Reconciliation and Moving On

This article analyses Australian television news programmes' framing of the tenth anniversary of the events of 9/11. Our findings build on and reaffirm the earlier work we did in this area—showing that television news programmes in Australia have moved away from conflating terrorism with Muslims and Islam. We found that the tenth anniversary coverage was presented with the frames of “reconciliation” and “moving on” from 9/11. The dominant frame used by Australian television news was based on the US–Australia relations, including a shared worldview, common experiences of lives lost in the attacks and a unified response in the context of the “war on terror”. Notably absent from the coverage was the attribution of references to bridge-building with Muslim minority communities.

The Future of Humanism: Cultivating the Humanities' Impulse in Mental Health Culture

SYNOPSISIn this article I argue that the future of humanism is dependent upon the cultivation of the humanities' impulse in mental health culture. certain orientations to helping can be categorized as humanities approaches because their focus is on human meaning systems. The dominant medical model, in contrast, purposefully eschews human meaning systems. unfortunately, humanities approaches are generally disconnected from each other, which weakens their ability to impact mental health culture. Humanism will have a bright future if it is conjoined with other humanities-based orientations. This would create a powerful, unified humanities response to the technical approaches that currently dominate the helping professions

Code 77, 1 Page, 1 Team: Maternal-Fetal Emergencies Requiring a Cesarean Birth. One Hospital's Multidisciplinary Journey

Emergency cesarean births occur everyday in the United States. These high-risk surgical procedures require a unified multidisciplinary response to optimize maternal–fetal outcomes. Nationally, the recommended guideline for an emergency cesarean birth is 30 minutes from decision to incision. Oftentimes, 30 minutes is too long. Our high-risk tertiary center determined that there needed to be a marked improvement in moving obstetric patients from labor and delivery to the operating room. In turn, this would improve time lines in expediting an emergency delivery leading to a successful maternal–fetal outcome.

The Integration of Mental and Behavioral Health Into Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

The close interplay between mental health and physical health makes it critical to integrate mental and behavioral health considerations into all aspects of public health and medical disaster management. Therefore, the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) convened the Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee to assess the progress of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in integrating mental and behavioral health into disaster and emergency preparedness and response activities. One vital opportunity to improve integration is the development of clear and directive national policy to firmly establish the role of mental and behavioral health as part of a unified public health and medical response to disasters. Integration of mental and behavioral health into disaster preparedness, response, and recovery requires it to be incorporated in assessments and services, addressed in education and training, and founded on and advanced through research. Integration must be supported in underlying policies and administration with clear lines of responsibility for formulating and implementing policy and practice.

A unified impulse response model for DCE‐MRI

We describe the gamma capillary transit time model, a generalized impulse response model for DCE-MRI that mathematically unifies the Tofts-Kety, extended Tofts-Kety, adiabatic tissue homogeneity, and two-compartment exchange models. By including a parameter (α⁻¹) representing the width of the distribution of capillary transit times within a tissue voxel, the GCTT model discriminates tissues having relatively monodisperse transit time distributions from those having a large degree of heterogeneity. All five models were compared using in vivo data acquired in three brain tumors (one glioblastoma multiforme, one pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, and one anaplastic meningioma) and Monte Carlo simulations. Our principal findings are : (1) The four most commonly used models for dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can be unified within a single formalism. (2) Application of the GCTT model to in vivo data incurs only modest penalties in parameter uncertainty and computational cost. (3) Measured nonparametric impulse response functions in human brain tumors are well described by the GCTT model. (4) Estimation of α⁻¹ is feasible but achieving statistical significance requires higher SNR than is typically obtained in single voxel dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging data. These results suggest that the GCTT model may be useful for extraction of information about tumor physiology beyond what is obtained using current modeling methodologies.

Research on Urban Public Safety Emergency Management Early Warning System based on Technologies for the Internet of Things

Abstract Urban public safety emergency management early warning system based on technologies for the Internet of Things(IOT) can realize the function of omni-directional monitoring and control, accurate prediction and efficient disposal. The rescue mechanism of a unified command, complete function and response sensitivity, and operate efficient be formed by the system. And improve the city's ability to withstand to public emergencies have great significance. In this paper, the current research situation for Internet of Things application in the field of public safety is introduced. The characteristic,structure and constitution are expatiated in details with illustration. Then the software and hardware platform,and the system function are analyzed. The key technologies and the technical research routes of the system are expounded.